Flyers-Capitals Game Features Nasty Brawl Midway Through the First Period (Video)

The Philadelphia Flyers are by far the most pugilistic team in the NHL this season, and not far behind them are the Washington Capitals. Heading into their game against each other last night, the Flyers were leading the league with 38 fighting majors, while the Caps were in fifth place with 33.

So was it really a surprise that things got wild in Philly last night? Not really. Though it is mildly surprising that the brawl happened just midway through the first period with so much hockey left to play.

As most fights do these days, this one began with a big but perfectly legal body check. After Luke Schenn drilled Washington’s Ryan Stoa into the boards, Tom Wilson stepped in and picked a fight with Schenn. From there a big scrum developed, and it looked like Philly’s Wayne Simmonds was going to go at it with John Erskine. But then Vincent Lecavalier stepped in to mix it up with Erskine instead, and the situation very nearly turned into a full-on line brawl.

Have a look:

So, ready to hear the penalties? Simmonds got 2 for slashing and 2 for cross checking. Schenn got 5 for fighting. Erskine got 5 for fighting and a 10-minute game misconduct. Lecavalier got 5 for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct. And Wilson got 2 for instigating, 5 for fighting, and a 10-minute game misconduct.

So that’s five players and 51 penalty minutes. Then the two teams went on to score eight more goals in the second and third periods, with the Flyers coming out on top, 6-4.